Chidambaram gets interim protection from arrest till July 3 in INX Media case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted former union minister P Chidambaram interim protection from arrest till July 3 in INX Media graft case and has sought CBI response on his anticipatory bail plea in the case.

HC has asked Chidambaram to join questioning in INX Media case as and when called by CBI.  A Delhi court on Wednesday also directed the the Enforcement Directorate not to take any coercive action against Chidambaram in the Aitcel Maxis case till June 5.

The CBI had on February 28 arrested Chidambaram's son Karti in the INX Media case. Later, he was granted bail.

Karti is accused of taking money to facilitate Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Finance Minister in the UPA government. The CBI registered an FIR in the case on May 15 last year.

The CBI has alleged that irregularities were committed in giving INX Media the clearance to receive Rs 305 crore in foreign investment. The CBI initially alleged that Karti had received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating the FIPB clearance.

The figure was, however, revised later to about Rs $1 million or 6.5 crore at the current exchange rate.

The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate are probing the case.

With Agency Inputs